Problem: Divide. Express your answer as a decimal. $31 \div 5 =$
Solution: There are many ways to solve this problem. Let's see two possible solutions. Place value strategy Let's think in terms of tenths: $\begin{aligned} &\phantom{=}31 \div 5&\\\\ &=31.0 \div 5\\\\ &= 310\text{ tenths}\div 5\\\\ &= 62\text{ tenths}\\\\ &= 6.2 \end{aligned}$ Fraction strategy Let's convert the division problem to a fraction with a denominator of $10$. $\begin{aligned} 31\div 5 &= \dfrac{31}{5}&\gray{\text{Rewrite the division problem as a fraction}}\\\\ &= \dfrac{31 \times 2}{5 \times 2}&\gray{\text{Multiply the top and bottom by 2}}\\\\ &=\dfrac{62}{10}&\\\\ &= 6.2& \end{aligned}$ The answer $31 \div 5 = 6.2$